The field of sports has traditionally been a male-dominated one, the world over. This phenomenon has been exaggerated in a country like India, which has had its own separate issues relating to gender inequality throughout its history.
Bet here on the Olympics and other hockey matches!
Against this backdrop, it is a significant achievement for women to beat the odds and take up professional sport in India. It is therefore all the more impressive when they are able to touch the pinnacle of their chosen sport, on the global stage.
On International Women's Day, TSN brings you India's most iconic sportswomen through the years.
A look at India's top sportswomen and their achievements
PT Usha
Born in 1964 in Koothali, Kerala, PT Usha has often been known as the queen of Indian track and field. An versatile athlete, Usha won gold medals in four different categories at the 1986 Asian Games; 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay. She has also won 14 Asian Championships medals, and was awarded the Padma Shri in 1985.
PV Sindhu
One of the active athletes on this list, Pusarla Venkata Sindhu has been the flagbearer for Indian badminton for almost a decade now. Specialising in singles, she created history at the 2016 Olympics, becoming the first Indian woman to secure an individual silver medal. Sindhu is a recipient of the Arjuna Award, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. She also won a bronze in Tokyo, making her the first Indian woman to claim two Olympic medals.
Sania Mirza
Indian tennis has had precious few icons since the 1980s, with even slimmer pickings among the women. Sania Mirza stands head and shoulders above the rest. She burst onto the scene at the 2005 US Open, making it to the fourth round at the age of just 19. To date, she is the only Indian woman to have won a Grand Slam, with six trophies to her name across the doubles categories. Mirza was achieved the world no.1 doubles ranking in 2007.
Mithali Raj
In a country obsessed with cricket, Mithali Raj is an icon, and perhaps one of India's greatest players. She made her national team at the age of 16 in 1999, and retired in 2022 as the leading international run-scorer of all time in women's cricket. She won the Arjuna Award in 2003, Padma Shri in 2015 and Khel Ratna Award in 2021.
MC Mary Kom
Hailing from the state of Manipur, Mary Kom is an inspiration now only to women but to those in a part of India that is rarely in the spotlight. She is India's most successful amateur boxer ever, with gold medals in the World Championships, Asian Championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games as well as an Olympics bronze medal, won in 2012. Mary Kom has won the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, Padma Shri and Arjuna Award.
Saina Nehwal
Before PV Sindhu came onto the scene, Saina Nehwal was the face of badminton in India. She won bronze in the women's singles at the 2012 London Olympics, making her the first-ever Indian to achieve the feat in badminton. In 2015, Nehwal achieved a world no.1 ranking, the first and to date, only, female Indian player to do so. She has been conferred with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and Padma Bhushan.
Anju Bobby George
Coming from Kerala, Anju Bobby George had a role model in athletics to look up to in the form of PT Usha. However, she took a different route to Usha, specialising in long jump rather than running. In 2003, she became the first-ever Indian to win a World Championships medal, clearing 6.7 metres to take home the bronze. Anju is currently the vice president of the Athletics Federation of India, and is a recipient of the Arjuna Award, Khel Ratna and Padma Shri.
Sakshi Malik
Wrestling is one of the 'sports of the soil' in India. Inspired by her grandfather, Sakshi Malik took to the sport and tasted success at an early age, winning bronze at the World Junior Championships. In 2016, she became the first Indian female wrestler to win an Olympic medal when she won bronze in the 58 kg category. In 2023, Malik was at the forefront of the wrestlers' protests against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh, who had been accused of sexual misconduct.
Karnam Malleshwari
Another athlete in a more obscure discipline, Andhra Pradesh's Karnam Malleshwari is one of India's most celebrated weightlifters. She won the world titles in 1994 and 1995, before being awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Padma Shri in 1999. A year later, Karnam made history as she became the first Indian woman ever to secure an Olympic medal, as she won bronze in the 69 kg category.
Mirabai Chanu
From one weightlifter to another, a generation later, Mirabai Chanu is carrying the torch for the sport in India. The 29-year-old carried on Karnam's legacy by outdoing her and going one better to win a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics, in the 49 kg category. She is also a former world record holder in the clean and jerk 49 kg category.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >